From Russia with Love (1963)

James Bond willingly falls into an assassination ploy involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by SPECTRE.

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay), Johanna Harwood (adaptation)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	James Bond
Daniela Bianchi	...	Tatiana Romanova
Pedro Armendáriz	...	Kerim Bey (as Pedro Armendariz)
Lotte Lenya	...	Rosa Klebb
Robert Shaw	...	Grant
Bernard Lee	...	'M'
Eunice Gayson	...	Sylvia Trench
Walter Gotell	...	Morzeny
Francis De Wolff	...	Vavra (as Francis de Wolff)
George Pastell	...	Train Conductor
Nadja Regin	...	Kerim's Girl
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Aliza Gur	...	Vida
Martine Beswick	...	Zora
Vladek Sheybal	...	Kronsteen

Storyline

James Bond 007 is on the search for a Russian decoding machine, known as Lektor. Bond needs to find this machine, before the evil SPECTRE organization discovers it first. Whilst being romantically linked with Russian girl, Tatiana Romanova, Bond sneaks his way around Istanbul, whilst each SPECTRE agent tries to pick him off, including the over powering Donald 'Red' Grant and ex-KGB agent Rosa Klebb who knows all the tricks in the books and even possesses an incredible poison tipped shoe!

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Plot Keywords:

butt slap | mauser c96 pistol | mauser pistol | mauser | raki | 

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Taglines:

JAMES BOND IS BACK! his new incredible women! his new incredible enemies! his new incredible adventures!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Russian Turkish Romany

Release Date:

27 May 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bons baisers de Russie

Filming Locations:

"The Canals", Venice, Veneto, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$24,796,765

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$54,100,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jacqueline Saltzman: Wife of producer Harry Saltzman is leaning out the window of the Orient Express, next to the window containing Robert Shaw, as it leaves the station. The film was shot on the real Orient Express.

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Goofs

The words used for "pull" and "push" signs on the doors at the Russian consulate are literal translations of the corresponding English verbs ("dergat" and "pikhat"). First, it's not what is customarily written on the doors in Russia ("to" and "fro" are used), and second, the colloquial forms of verbs are used, not the written forms.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Morzeny: [after Grant kills a look-a-like Bond] Exactly one minute, fifty-two seconds. That's excellent.

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Crazy Credits

Ernst Blofeld's actor is credited as "?".

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Alternate Versions

In the French theatrical version the end title song "From Russia With Love" by Matt Monro was sung in French by Swedish singer/actor Bob Askolf under the title "Bons baisers de Russie".

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Connections

Referenced in Harry Saltzman: Showman (2000)

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Soundtracks

From Russia with Love
Music by John Barry
Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Performed by Matt Monro

User Reviews

SPECTRE Sends Their Love To 007

After the success of Dr. No, the movie going public could not get enough of Sean Connery as James Bond. From Russia With Love was almost demanded to be made and it's proved to be one of the most durable of the Bond series in popularity.

That infamous third echelon SPECTRE is after a new Russian decoding machine that the West would certainly like to lay its mitts on as well. But SPECTRE has something additional in mind. Knowing that MI5 will send its best in 007 after the decoder, they have it in mind to kill James Bond. And the alluring bait will be Daniela Bianchi, their agent.

Of course as always no woman can resist the sex appeal of James Bond as packaged by Sean Connery. Personally I've always liked Roger Moore best in the part, I like Sean Connery as well, but more for his non-Bond roles. That I'm sure will be appreciated by Sean Connery should he ever get to read this review.

The cinematography in a story that takes place in Istanbul and along the Mediterranean Sea is gorgeous. Connery gets a really outstanding cast in support including Pedro Armendariz for whom this was a final performance as Bond ally Ali Kerim Bey.

Robert Shaw has a part of few words as the paid assassin SPECTRE has trained for the purpose of killing James Bond. Shaw is terrifying in his role and the fact he did it without much use of a voice that was one of the best in the English language, testifies to his ability as an actor. His confrontation with Connery on the Orient Express is one of the great fight scenes ever done on film.

However I have a warm spot in my heart for Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb, the Russian defector now working for SPECTRE, the woman with those killer orthopedic shoes. Kenneth Cole never designed better.

From Russia With Love has everything you want in a James Bond film, action, sex, and exotic locations. And Sean Connery, who could complain.